back to indexPassion week - Thursday
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About verse 7. I'm gonna turn there in my Bible too. Okay. Just to begin, I think the way I 00:00:17.880 |
would like to think of and frame what the events that happened on Thursday. 00:00:22.520 |
Thursday is a day of preparation. Thursday is a day of preparation which 00:00:27.920 |
we began in Luke 22 with Jesus instructing the disciples to prepare for 00:00:33.160 |
the Passover. This momentous occasion for every Jew of the nation of Israel to 00:00:39.760 |
remember and to celebrate that God in his love delivered the nation of Israel 00:00:46.600 |
from the oppression that existed in Egypt but more so the wrath of God that 00:00:53.640 |
was going to come upon all the people there. And as Jesus is preparing the 00:00:58.680 |
disciples to have this Passover with them, Jesus is also preparing the 00:01:03.920 |
disciples for what's to come. And what's more I believe Jesus is this day is a 00:01:09.160 |
time in which Jesus is preparing even his own heart. Jesus is preparing even in 00:01:14.200 |
his own self for the suffering that's to come. And then as we know what's gonna 00:01:19.880 |
happen later into the evening as they have the Passover, as they have the Last 00:01:24.600 |
Supper, as Jesus instructs the disciples to prepare them and that even Christ 00:01:28.880 |
will go to the garden to pray before God, this day is a day of preparation. Now 00:01:35.240 |
what's interesting though is as Jesus instructs the disciples in Luke chapter 00:01:38.560 |
22 to go and make preparation with the celebration, to grab the materials, to 00:01:46.120 |
secure the location and all sorts of things, we realize something that Jesus 00:01:51.280 |
says that reveals his heart. So if you look down, I'll just start reading from 00:01:58.000 |
verse let's say 14. Okay, verse 14, short passage here where it says, "When the hour 00:02:04.440 |
had come he reclined at the table and the Apostles with him and he said to 00:02:08.880 |
them, 'I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer 00:02:14.800 |
for I say to you I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom 00:02:21.320 |
of God.'" Now what's very interesting about this passage is in this time of 00:02:26.720 |
preparation Jesus reveals his heart. He says, you know, we're having this 00:02:32.160 |
Passover but it is my earnest desire to eat this with you. And what's very 00:02:37.200 |
interesting about that is the construction makes it incredibly 00:02:40.560 |
emphatic. He uses the same word in the Greek epithumia twice but one in 00:02:46.440 |
an adverb sense and one in the verb putting it together doubly emphasizing I 00:02:50.960 |
have strongly desired to have this with you. And what's more this term epithumia 00:02:56.000 |
is often used in other passages. Apostle Paul uses it synonymous with lust, 00:03:01.320 |
something that you're craving, something that you're like you cannot let go of 00:03:05.160 |
almost. So here's a question, why? Why would Jesus Christ want to have this 00:03:12.520 |
Passover with them prior to the suffering? Christ is on his route to 00:03:19.160 |
incredible pain, to his sacrifice. Why does he so desire to have this meal with 00:03:25.920 |
them prior to doing all that? And my case is going to be that right now we're 00:03:31.040 |
taking a look at a narrow portion of what happens on Thursday. There's so much 00:03:34.680 |
that happens on Thursday but we're taking a narrow portion to realize the 00:03:40.400 |
heart of Christ for his disciples. You know what's really interesting is Jesus 00:03:45.680 |
telling his disciples and explaining I want to share this with you. I want to 00:03:50.400 |
have this time with you and I'm not gonna have this again essentially what 00:03:54.640 |
he's saying. He's describing and pouring out his heart, having a heart-to-heart 00:03:57.840 |
with them, essentially preparing them and saying I'm going away, right? I'm going 00:04:03.560 |
away. And as with a lot of other occasions in the Bible, the disciples 00:04:08.800 |
don't get it. Later on in the passage I'm just gonna summarize for you a little 00:04:13.480 |
bit but starting from about verse 22 Jesus Christ is explaining to them in 00:04:21.280 |
greater detail what must take place and why all these things must happen. But 00:04:26.360 |
starting from verse 44, I'm sorry from verse 24, the disciples actually began to 00:04:31.520 |
argue with each other and what they argue is which one of us are greater? If 00:04:37.360 |
this is the time when Jesus is kind of culminating all things about the things 00:04:41.680 |
that were prophesied and promised then that means we're all gonna be kings. You 00:04:46.440 |
know the disciples were more so thinking about their position. They're vying for 00:04:51.360 |
positions of authority, positions of stature and glory. All while Christ was 00:04:58.080 |
trying to explain to them I really really want to have this time with you. 00:05:02.240 |
And I ask the question why? Why would Jesus Christ want to have this time with 00:05:07.680 |
them? If you guys have ever cooked a meal, you know, whether it's for family, for 00:05:12.760 |
friends or roommates, whatever it may be. If you've ever cooked a meal but then 00:05:17.440 |
nobody comes to the table, you're just like forget it I'm gonna dump this in 00:05:21.560 |
the trash, you know. If you've ever began a conversation or started telling a 00:05:25.600 |
story and you realize they're just on their phone and they're not listening, 00:05:28.800 |
forget it. I don't want to go on with the story. This scenario is a lot like many 00:05:33.920 |
other scenarios where Christ is pouring out his heart. He's describing to them 00:05:37.960 |
what kind of suffering he needs to endure and how he's fulfilling all that 00:05:43.080 |
is promised. These are like epic things but the disciples don't get it and when 00:05:49.200 |
I see that I ask this question why? And the answer really is it's not so much 00:05:56.480 |
what this event affords for Christ but this is the heart of Christ desiring so 00:06:03.000 |
eagerly to prepare his children, his disciples. What I see for me is a lot 00:06:10.480 |
like when a parent is about to leave their children for a long trip or if you 00:06:16.640 |
know if a child is going away for a college, if a child is going away on a 00:06:20.600 |
long trip and the parent is so eager wanting to come over and say hey did you 00:06:25.200 |
check the pressure of your tires? Did you have enough oil? Do you have snacks for the 00:06:29.520 |
ride? Do you know where you're going? Do you have directions? Do you have a map? 00:06:32.920 |
And it's just this non-stop like do you have everything? You see that heart of 00:06:38.720 |
Christ when he's looking at his disciples. I want so eagerly to have this 00:06:41.900 |
with you. I want to prepare you. And so if you go over to the book of John that's 00:06:47.800 |
exactly what happens. We're starting from probably the end of chapter 12 or 00:06:52.400 |
chapter 13 all the way to chapter 17 is many chapters revealing to us the heart 00:07:00.920 |
of Christ and his love for the disciples. So eagerly wanting to prepare them and 00:07:06.960 |
to show them what to expect to give them his heart, to give them prayer, to give 00:07:12.800 |
them love, to give them an appropriate expectation of each other even. An 00:07:19.240 |
appropriate expectation of the world. And what you see is a revealing of his 00:07:23.800 |
heart and how he desires to love his disciples. And what I really love 00:07:31.280 |
about this passage if you turn your Bibles to John chapter 13 is at the 00:07:35.480 |
beginning of this time in which Jesus has this last supper with his disciples 00:07:40.040 |
and he prepares them by teaching them the scriptures commentate on Christ's 00:07:45.800 |
heart for them. And if you take a look first chapter 13 verse 1 he says now 00:07:51.640 |
before the feast of the Passover Jesus knowing that his hour had come that he 00:07:57.160 |
would part out he would depart out of this world to the Father having loved 00:08:01.880 |
his own who were in the world he loved them to the end. What a amazing short 00:08:09.680 |
little commentary on what Christ is doing this day on Thursday. His loving 00:08:16.420 |
his disciples and while they don't get it while they're fighting for position 00:08:19.640 |
Christ is loving them and he explains to them I am I am here serving you. And so 00:08:25.800 |
in the next passages of John he's gonna wash the disciples feet showing them 00:08:30.680 |
aren't I greater aren't I the teacher but here I am serving you. And I'm gonna 00:08:36.920 |
do this thing with you a little bit just summarizing by taking a look and 00:08:41.360 |
flipping through the chapters a little bit and looking at certain verses that 00:08:44.040 |
reveals more of Christ's heart of love for them. If you look over at chapter 13 00:08:49.280 |
verse 31 through 35 he instructs them therefore when he had gone out Jesus said 00:08:55.040 |
now is the son of man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified 00:08:59.640 |
in him God would also glorify him in himself and will glorify him immediately 00:09:03.880 |
little children I am with you a little while longer you will seek me and as I 00:09:08.360 |
said to the Jews now I also say to you where I'm going you cannot come but a 00:09:13.400 |
new commandment I give to you that you love one another even as I loved you 00:09:16.960 |
that you also love one another by this all men will know that you are my 00:09:21.360 |
disciples if you love one another. Just like when a parent is leaving and 00:09:26.120 |
departing for some time he will tell the brothers up in the home you need to love 00:09:31.280 |
each other take care of each other scroll down to chapter 14 verse 1 and 00:09:36.440 |
says do not let your heart be troubled believe in God believe also in me as he's 00:09:41.120 |
departing he understands that even though they don't get it right now that 00:09:44.920 |
he's leaving that they are going to be troubled they are going to be dismayed 00:09:49.000 |
they're gonna be in chaos but he instructs them don't be troubled. If you 00:09:54.480 |
look over in verse 18 of chapter 14 verse 18 he says I will not leave you 00:10:00.400 |
as orphans I will come to you after a little while the world no longer see me 00:10:05.400 |
but you will see me because I live you will also live and as you know in this 00:10:10.880 |
and the gospel of John this is where he just tries to describe to the 00:10:16.720 |
disciples look it's almost better for me to go because the helper is going to be 00:10:21.280 |
sent to you I truly won't leave you alone the helper is gonna come and teach 00:10:26.280 |
you and then later on in chapter 15 he instructs the disciples to abide in him 00:10:32.120 |
in verse 1 he says I am the vine and my father is a vine dresser and he just 00:10:37.240 |
describes the scenario in which they need to make sure that they are rooted 00:10:41.720 |
in him and then in chapter 15 verse 18 he describes how the world is going to 00:10:48.720 |
treat them what they're supposed to expect that as he departs how the world 00:10:53.440 |
is going to persecute them to hate them and then in chapter 16 verse 1 this is 00:11:00.240 |
what Christ says to them verse 1 he says these things I have spoken to you so 00:11:05.880 |
that you may be kept from stumbling go to verse 4 but these things I have 00:11:10.040 |
spoken to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you 00:11:14.080 |
of them that these things I do not say to you at the beginning because I was 00:11:17.760 |
with you first five but now I'm going to him who sent me and none of you asked 00:11:23.240 |
me where are you going but because I said these things to you sorrow has 00:11:27.120 |
filled your heart but I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go 00:11:31.200 |
away for if I do not go away the helper when I come to you but if I go I will 00:11:36.320 |
send him to you I hope that little exercise shows to you the heart of 00:11:41.600 |
Christ to me that's that's profound because we typically think of Christ as 00:11:53.520 |
like God divine who never worries we typically think of Christ as the you 00:12:01.340 |
know the God of the world who knows all things who knows the beginning in the 00:12:04.720 |
end and so he never worries but what I see in Christ's heart for his disciples 00:12:11.240 |
as he departs as he so eagerly desired to have this Passover so that he might 00:12:16.280 |
instruct and love his disciples and prepare them and what I see then is a 00:12:23.120 |
heart of perhaps a parent who is so concerned and in love with his disciples 00:12:29.200 |
he can't just leave parents when they leave a house you know sometimes we ask 00:12:35.280 |
people to come to the house and and babysit our kids the first couple times 00:12:39.360 |
we did that we couldn't leave we're at the door like okay guys listen to the 00:12:42.840 |
babysitters you know you just go through all this list and you tell us and 00:12:46.200 |
compelled babysitter okay we have this schedule you have to make sure they eat 00:12:48.720 |
this thing and you have to do this thing and you just keep going why because 00:12:53.600 |
your heart of love for your child can't just leave and then when I see Christ 00:12:59.200 |
almost it through all these verses so concerned for the disciples I just kind 00:13:06.920 |
of go through that emotion like yes I know Christ is divine but look at his 00:13:11.720 |
heart of love he's so concerned from them and sometimes I have worries I have 00:13:19.400 |
worries for my children I have worries for our church people I have worries 00:13:22.560 |
for you guys and it just keeps me up and that's a heavy burden to carry but 00:13:29.400 |
Christ and his love for them scripture says he loves him to the end he carries 00:13:34.320 |
that burden to the end and what's more profound to me is this in this moment 00:13:39.840 |
and in this distance does Christ not have concern for his own life does 00:13:44.520 |
Christ not have right to be worried I'm gonna suffer scripture says that he that 00:13:50.280 |
his heart as a matter of fact is troubled and that is stirred within him 00:13:54.520 |
almost like a storm on the insides does he not have a right to be like 00:14:01.120 |
disciples you don't care about me who's gonna be with me who's gonna encourage 00:14:06.440 |
me and strengthen me as I go to the cross but he loves his disciples so much 00:14:12.720 |
he is concerned over them and his heart is revealed as he so eagerly desires to 00:14:17.960 |
prepare them but I want to leave you with this but our Lord truly is divine 00:14:23.520 |
and if you look over in chapter 17 what he does is he's praised to the father 00:14:29.960 |
and he places his disciples in the place that is most secure and the place that 00:14:37.200 |
is absolutely grounded and that is in the hands of God if you look over at 00:14:42.680 |
verse 11 of chapter 17 he says this I am no longer in the world he knows he's 00:14:48.840 |
going to depart and it says yet they themselves are in the world and I come 00:14:52.540 |
to you Holy Father keep them in your name the name with which you have given 00:14:57.880 |
me that they may be one as we are while I was with them I was keeping them in 00:15:02.560 |
your name which you have given me and I've guarded them and not one of them 00:15:05.960 |
have perished but the son of perdition so that the scriptures would be 00:15:10.360 |
fulfilled a short little verse tells me this that Christ and his love guarded 00:15:16.760 |
the disciples all the way through they might not have seen it they might not 00:15:21.320 |
have understood but since the beginning Christ has guarded them and the only 00:15:25.600 |
reason why they didn't fall it because of the love of Christ and here and now 00:15:30.600 |
as he's about to depart where does he place them he places them in the 00:15:33.760 |
protection of God Almighty what an amazing scene of Christ preparation of 00:15:39.880 |
the disciples but more so revealing the heart of Christ I think for us it just 00:15:45.720 |
behooves us that you know a lot of times when we remember each year you know the 00:15:50.640 |
disciples had Passover each year but they kind of didn't get it as we 00:15:54.880 |
remember each year the things that happen in Passion Week we have to all 00:15:59.720 |
the more acknowledge how deep is this love of God that when we say a simple 00:16:05.960 |
statement that God so loved the world that we sit there on the soul and 00:16:10.000 |
realize that talks of depth and degree the extent of love and for us as 00:16:16.600 |
children of God and one of the things that we really need to do is simply 00:16:20.520 |
acknowledge and recognize that when we see the intricacies of how one would 00:16:25.040 |
prepare how one would with God how one would pray how one would accomplish all 00:16:30.800 |
these things on our behalf that we will recognize my God you truly love me beyond 00:16:42.840 |
father God we we hear in your word that you love your disciples